Google Commits $1.5 Billion to Expand Alabama Data Center Campus on Former Coal Plant Site
June 16, 2026
Google Commits $1.5 Billion to Expand Alabama Data Center Campus on Former Coal Plant Site
Google has announced a further $1.5 billion investment to expand its data center campus in Jackson County, Alabama, with spending set to span 2026 and 2027. The facility, located on the site of the former Widows Creek coal-fired power plant, has been operational since 2019 and represents a significant chapter in the company’s push to repurpose legacy industrial infrastructure for hyperscale computing.
The expansion builds on a project that originally broke ground in 2017, two years after Google first unveiled its plans for the campus. At that time, the initiative was described as a $600 million undertaking. According to data from market intelligence firm Baxtel, the site comprised two data center buildings as of 2022, each spanning 135,000 square feet (12,540 square meters). Google has not disclosed the full planned footprint for the expanded campus.
Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global head of energy and power, highlighted the unique origin of the site in a LinkedIn post. “This site has a unique backstory. We were able to locate our Jackson County campus on land that was once home to the shuttered Widows Creek coal-fired power plant,” she wrote. “Decades of investment didn’t go to waste just because the site had closed. Instead, we repurposed existing electric lines and infrastructure to enhance the data center’s reliability and add clean power to the grid.”
Corio also noted that the expansion would build on the hundreds of full-time jobs already supported by the data center and the billions of dollars in economic impact it has driven since 2018. As part of the broader commitment, Google said it will train more than 130,000 Alabamians in digital skills, collaborating with over 150 organizations across the state.
The company confirmed it will cover the energy requirements of the expansion, including infrastructure costs driven by its operations. Google has contracted to bring 300 megawatts of new generation capacity to the Tennessee Valley region. This includes a 50-megawatt nuclear power partnership with Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), first announced in 2025. Alongside the expansion, Google also launched a $2 million Energy Impact Fund, which will support programs aimed at reducing monthly energy bills for local families. In partnership with TVA and the Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama (CAANEAL), the fund will finance weatherization and energy efficiency services for schools and income-qualified households, primarily in Jackson County.
Thomas Gamble, Google’s Jackson County site lead, emphasized the long-term vision behind the investment. “Sustainable growth is only possible when a community thrives alongside it,” he said. “Our continued expansion in Alabama is driven by a long-term vision of shared success. By investing heavily in the students, small businesses, and local organizations that form the backbone of Jackson County, Google aims to build a foundation of opportunity that will benefit the region long after construction is complete.”
Source: datacenterdynamics
